[ALMASDARNEWS] Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has refuted US media reports about Russian contractors allegedly operating in crisis-torn Libya, calling them "speculation".
"I categorically refute speculations of this kind. We are acting in the interest of the Libyan settlement, we are supporting the existing effort, including through the United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... ; we maintain a dialogue with those who somehow influence the situation. We do not think that there is any grounds for such statements, such fiction, but this is not the first time that US media spread different speculations, wicked rumours, falsehoods targeting us", Ryabkov told Russian journalists during a working visit to Israel.
The official noted that such hoaxes affected the attitude of the US public, thus damaging bilateral relations.
"We have already gotten used to this, and we take it in stride. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... I have to acknowledge that recurrent hoaxes of this kind exercise a negative influence on the sentiment of the US domestic public, and the general atmosphere in the United States, unfortunately, does not promote normalisation of our ties, although we strive for it", he added.
The New York Times
...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... reported earlier this week that 200 Russian "fighters" had allegedly arrived in Libya over the past six weeks as "part of a broad campaign by the Kremlin to reassert its influence across the Middle East and Africa".
Posted by: Fred ||
11/08/2019 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] FSB security service cautions returnees ’quite often adhere to holy warrior religious ideology’.
And what, pray tell, does Russia plan to do about it?
Russia’s security service chief on Thursday warned about some 2,000 women and kiddies related to Russian fighters for the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS ...embracing their inner Islamic Brute... or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group who he said could return and commit attacks.
"Currently there are around 2,000 women and kiddies on whom we have data who are relatives of fighters, that’s just Russian nationals," the head of the FSB security service Alexander Bortnikov said at a regional security forum in Tashkent, TASS news agency reported.
He said that this included both family members who are still in the Middle East or who have left the region.
Some of these may still have holy warrior views and could commit terror attacks back in Russia, he warned.
"Such returnees quite often adhere to holy warrior religious ideology," Bortnikov said.
He said "the heads of international terror organizations target such people as jacket wallahs, proselytizers and recruiters and agents for the underground terrorist network."
Unlike some other countries, Russia has organized the repatriation of some women and kiddies of Islamist fighters, particularly to its Caucasus regions.
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11/08/2019 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] An 89-year-old Auschwitz survivor who is a senator-for-life in Italia is assigned police protection in response to revelations that she is subject to 200 social media attacks each day.
Italian state radio says Milan’s prefect, who reports to the interior minister, has assigned a Carabinieri paramilitary police security detail to Liliana Segre because of the threats against her.
Segre unwittingly provoked one of the country’s most intense confrontations with anti-Semitism since the end of its Fascist dictatorship during World War II. She called for the creation of a parliamentary committee to combat hate, racism and anti-Semitism. Parliament approved her motion ‐ but without votes from Italia’s right-wing parties.
Matteo Salvini’s euroskeptic League party, Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia and Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italia all abstained, in a move that defied the kind of social consensus that has marked Italian post-war politics.
Israel’s ambassador to Italia tweets his dismay about the threats. "An 89-year-old survivor under escort symbolizes the danger that the Jewish communities in Europe ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... are facing today," says Ambassador Dror Eydar.
#1
Speaking of Brain Dead, a French representative has something to say about the present migrant invasion and how Macron is destroying France. VLAD TEPES Strikes Gold in this video
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/08/2019 1:46 Comments ||
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Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/08/2019 8:21 Comments ||
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#8
"The memo was brief—just a few hundred words. The memo was polite. But for President Lyndon Johnson and his NATO allies, it read like a slap in the face. “France is determined to regain on her whole territory the full exercise of her sovereignty,” wrote French President Charles de Gaulle. The country intended to stop putting its military forces at NATO’s disposal and intended to kick NATO military forces—and those of NATO members—off of its land. In short, de Gaulle had just done the unthinkable: pulled the plug on a crucial part of NATO.
De Gaulle’s 1966 decision to withdraw France from NATO’s integrated military command sent shock waves through NATO’s member states. It was a reminder of the fissures within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—and a challenge to its very existence. Could NATO survive without a member state’s participation in the very military agreements it was founded on?"
[DAWN] Former prime minister and Pakistain Moslem League (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif ...served two three non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf, then by the courts... has reportedly acceded to doctors’ advice and family’s persuasion to go abroad for treatment of his diseases.
"Nawaz Sharif has finally agreed to go to London after the doctors told him categorically that they had already exhausted all medical treatment [options] available in Pakistain and going abroad is the only option left," a Sharif family source told Dawn on Thursday.
Subsequently, he said, the PML-N had shared with the PTI government the doctors’ recommendations regarding Mr Sharif’s travel abroad. "In light of the doctors’ reports, the government is likely to remove Mr Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL) in a day or two, enabling him to leave the country," he added.
The source further said that Mr Sharif might leave for London this week if his name was removed from the ECL. "Though Mr Sharif was not ready to go abroad after the recommendations of the medical board of the Services Hospital and the medics of the Sharif Medical City and the ’request’ of his family members, he has finally agreed," he said.
The source said Maryam Nawaz would not go with her father as she had surrendered her passport to the Lahore High Court as surety against the bail granted to her in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. "At the moment Nawaz Sharif’s health matters more as he is fighting for his life. Maryam Nawaz may explore the option of going to London to look after her father later," he added.
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11/08/2019 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Pakistain may remain on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beyond February 2020, mainly because of its risk profile and in view of two simultaneous evaluations.
Senior officials provided this information to a parliamentary panel on Thursday. They also revealed that the government recovered only Rs5.6 billion in taxes on foreign assets worth about $7.4bn (Rs1.15 trillion) of Paks reported by the international community under information exchange arrangements.
"Pakistain faces greater challenges than many other countries because of its risk profile," said the minister responsible for economic affairs division, Hammad Azhar, while speaking at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, presided over by MNA Asad Umar.
He said that some countries had been removed from the grey list after just 80 per cent compliance while Pakistain was being pressurised to ensure 100pc compliance with the action plan.
[Al Jazeera] The former head of the UN agency for Paleostinian refugees, who resigned amid an ongoing investigation into alleged abuses of authority, has denied wrongdoing saying his agency was the victim of a political campaign designed to undermine it.
"I have rejected these allegations from the start and will continue to do so," former commissioner-general Pierre Krahenbuhl told Swiss broadcaster RTS. "There is no corruption, fraud or mismanagement of aid."
A confidential internal agency ethics report, first reported by Al Jazeera in July, accused Krahenbuhl and his "inner circle" of abuses of authority.
The report alleged the inner circle was made up of Deputy Commission-General Sandra Mitchell - who resigned from her post in late July - Chief of Staff Hakam Shahwan - who left the agency in early July - and the senior adviser to the commissioner-general, Maria Mohammedi.
It claimed members of the group "engaged in misconduct, nepotism, retaliation ... and other abuses of authority" following the fallout from the United States's decision to cut its contributions to the agency from $360m to $60m for 2018 and then zero in 2019.
The US and Israel both accused UNRWA of mismanagement and anti-Israel incitement.
'ABOVE THE POLITICS'
Krahenbuhl said he was "above the politics that have governed this entire process" and was resigning "in the firm belief that this is in the best interest of Palestine refugees, of my family and myself"
In his resignation letter, Krahenbuhl complained the inquiry "has been fraught with leaks ... despite your personal commitment to confidentiality".
He denied what he called "the unfounded allegation that I entertained a romantic relationship with a staff member".
Krahenbuhl said he was "above the politics that have governed this entire process" and was resigning "in the firm belief that this is in the best interest of Palestine refugees, of my family and myself".
He added: "A further delay would only benefit those who have so actively engaged in political, financial and personal attacks over the past two years with the declared objective to undermine UNRWA and the integrity of Palestine refugees."
[IsraelTimes] Head of the security service credits advanced technology with helping prevent attacks and allowing Israelis to live ’full, comfortable lives’.
Last year, the Shin Bet was credited with foiling some 500 terror attacks.
All those overnight raids in the villages have paid off, even if the prisons are full of miscreants trying to smuggle in cell phones as a result.
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) main objective in 2020 will be the key city of Jisr al-Shughour in the western countryside of the Idlib Governorate, a military source told al-Masdar News.
According to the source, the Syrian Arab Army’s upcoming offensives in northwestern Syria will concentrate on putting the military within position of striking Jisr al-Shughour from several axes.
In particular, the Syrian Arab Army will focus on two major axes: al-Ghaab (directly south of Jisr al-Shughour) and northeast Latakia (southwest of Jisr al-Shughour).
At the al-Ghaab Plain, the Syrian Arab Army will attempt to clear the northern part of this farming region, which is currently under the control of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State... and the Hurras al-Deen Group.
Meanwhile, ...back at the desert island, Irene was indignant at the thought of doing such a thing without benefit of clergy... in northeastern Latakia, the Syrian Army will attempt to capture the imperative town of Kabani, which is a key area that overlooks the northern part of al-Ghaab and southwestern Jisr al-Shughour.
The Syrian Army’s previous attacks on Kabani have led to many jihadists killed; however, they have not been able to enter the town.
With reports surfacing of the elite 25th Special Mission Forces Division (formerly Tiger Forces) deploying to the Kabani axis, this front will likely be a focal point in the coming weeks.
All of these operations should eventually lead the Syrian Army to the strategic city of Jisr al-Shughour.
Jisr al-Shughour is the de-facto capital for the jihadist rebels in Syria, as it is home to some of the largest groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Hurras al-Deen group, and the Turkestan Islamic Party.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/08/2019 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Moscow and Damascus have called on the international community to pressure Washington to withdraw all US troops from the territory of Syria, the joint statement by Russian and Syrian coordination headquarters on humanitarian situation in Syria informed.
"We call on the entire international community to pressure the US, which continues to violate norms of international law by maintaining its presence on illegally occupied territories of Syria, and to obligate the US to withdraw all its troops from the sovereign Syrian Arab Republic," the statement says.
The statement claims that US’ unlawful presence in Syria is the main destabilizing factor in Syria currently. Namely, the US continues to hold the 55-km area around al-Tanf, hindering the release of refugees held at the Rukban camp, the statement adds. Despite the readiness of Russia and Syria to implement the third stage of the UN plan on evacuating the residents of the camp in big groups up to 2,500 people, on September 29, only 336 people left the camp.
"The reason for that is the unwillingness of the US to influence the turbans under its control, who sabotaged the alert of the upcoming action, restricted the duration of stay of the humanitarian convoy, engaged in extortion and directly threatened families wishing to leave the camp," the statement informs.
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11/08/2019 00:00 ||
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#6
Given that President Trump announced the oil is going to the SDF, now firmly allied with the legal government of Syria in a mutual defense pact against Turkish aggression, “It’s all about the ooooooiiiillll” seems a bit much to claim. As does the accusation that we are deserting our friends, the Syrian Kurds.
As for
The statement claims that US’ unlawful presence in Syria is the main destabilizing factor in Syria currently.
The idea that a small enclave of Americans, even highly trained, armed-to-their-teeth Americans who are mostly keeping themselves to themselves, is a greater threat to Syria than ISIS, Turkey’s amok-running Turkmen barbarians, ot Al Nusra, et al in Idlib is utterly absurd.
[IsraelTimes] The top inspector for the UN’s nuclear agency has accused Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan, the abbreviation IRGC is a cognate form of Stürmabteilung (or SA), the term Supreme Guide is a cognate form of either Shah or Führer or maybe both, and they hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... of evading attempts to gather information on Tehran’s uranium production at a warehouse flagged by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year and where particles were found earlier this year, according to Bloomberg.
The report cites "two officials familiar with the briefing who asked not to be identified" as saying that Massimo Aparo told diplomats in a closed-door meeting yesterday in Austrian capital Vienna that the Islamic Theocratic Republic is "evading attempts to discover the source of man-made and natural uranium particles detected at a warehouse in Tehran."
[IsraelTimes] Iran is alleging that a UN inspector it blocked from a nuclear site last week tested positive for explosive nitrates.
Iran’s representative to the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency, Kazem Gharibabadi, makes the allegation at a suddenly called meeting in Vienna.
He does not elaborate on why he thinks the woman had the residue on her, though he says she went to the bathroom while waiting for a secondary screening and apparently removed the material. This happened at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
There is no immediate comment from the IAEA.
This incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over its nuclear program.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
11/08/2019 00:00 ||
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Iran’s plans to increase its nuclear activity at Fordow raise concerns that Iran is positioning itself for a rapid nuclear breakout. It is now time for all nations to reject its nuclear extortion and increase pressure.
The US will not profit from the Syrian oil and gas fields that are currently being secured by US troops & the Syrian Democratic Forces, according to the Pentagon. "The revenues from this is not going to the US, this is going to the SDF," @ChiefPentSpox told reporters.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...formerly 
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
...served 
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
is alleging that a UN inspector it blocked from a nuclear site last week tested positive for explosive nitrates.
